VeriSign Honors eBay Inc. Among Distinguished .com 25

Chosen by experts, honorees recognized for innovations that strengthened communities and transformed economies.

eBay Inc. founder Pierre Omidyar and PayPal were named to the .com 25 companies and individuals honored by VeriSign—among the earliest operators of the .com domain—for pioneering Internet innovation. The honorees (see full list below), chosen by a group of technology and business experts, represent the who’s who of Internet giants, and reflect the evolution of the consumer Internet in its first 25 years.

"Over the past 25 years, the Internet has strengthened communities, transformed economies and allowed people all over the world to come together," said Mark McLaughlin, president and chief executive officer of VeriSign. "All this simply wouldn't have been possible without the vision, talent and creativity of these companies and individuals. The hundreds of millions of people who now use the Internet daily have these trailblazers to thank for the rich online experiences they enjoy today -- most of which were unimaginable back in 1985 when the first .com domain name was registered."

The .com 25 were selected from a group of 75 people and companies nominated for the honor. Then the list was shortened and ratified by the judging panel, composed of business, media, academic and policy leaders. VeriSign paid tribute to the honorees at a gala event at San Francisco’s City Hall on May 26.